“We’re coming back and we’re gonna be a force to reckon with,” one head trainer assured Franklin.

At the four clubs around the city, there are photos and memories of the champs who once represented the city in the days when it was known as a springboard for fighters on their way to national titles or international Olympic recognition.

But it’s not just past glory; the city’s gyms have some present-day champions and up-and-comers. At the Ike Williams Boxing Academy, named for the former lightweight boxing champion, National AAU heavyweight champion Michael “The Beast’’ Hilton works out.

Meanwhile, the top women’s boxer, Ayesha Green, can be found at Goss & Goss, operated by Barry Goss, one of three boxing brothers from years ago.

While the excitement surrounding these young champions is a tonic for the struggling city, the greater good is the increasing popularity of the ring as an alternative to the streets.

Most of those sparring at Ike Williams or Goss & Goss, or working out at Asfit Training Center or Adam & Eve Fitness Center, will never reach the level of Ayesha Green or “The Beast” Hilton, let alone become the next Muhammad Ali or Evander Holyfield.

But the gyms and boxing are alternatives in a city with a limited number of practical options. Some of the boxers have been incarcerated; some have seen friends gunned down; some have been shot themselves.

Learning how to box can be a constructive and challenging pursuit, while the gym itself can be a secure harbor for kids who may otherwise be adrift due to family problems or poverty. Getting into the ring may just give them a fighting chance to change their lives.

As those young athletes improve, they begin to apply the discipline they’re learning to other areas of their lives. The trainers and coaches have seen it happen, and they’re striving to help foster that sense of esteem, of self-worth.

Those trying to revive the city’s reputation attempt to show kids the superiority of a planned bout with regulations and a referee over a random intersection of rivals on a street corner. All the latter requires are guns and inflated egos. The former involves strength, conditioning, and a commitment to playing by the rules.